Bridge.



J. B. STRAUSS.

BRIDGE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 26, I911.

Patented Jan. 9, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

i It llllilllllll lllll o a o o o J. B. STRAUSS.

BRIDGE.

APPLICATION FILED D EC.26, 1911.

Patented Jan. 9,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- JOSEPH B. STRAUSS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BRIDGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 191?.

Application fiieu December 26, 1911. Serial No. 667,617.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Joa'EPH B. STRAUSS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Bridges, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in bridges adapted to be opened and closed, and has for its object to provide a new and improved bridge of this description.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of bridge embodied in the invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing a modified construction; Fi' 3 is an enlarged detail view showing one orm of braking device.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several figures.

In the construction illustrated in the drawings I have shown a movable part or span 1, movably connected with a suitable support 2. A counter-weight 3 is connected with a frame 4 pivotally mounted at 5 upon the support 2. Said counter-weight 4 is connected by a suitable link or connecting piece 6 with the main span 1. It will thus be seen that the main span is counter-balanced in all its various. positions and that it thus forms a balanced part associated with or carried by a fixed part. In order to open and close the bridge, I provide means for producing an unbalanced force on the main span or balanced part, said means adapted to produce an unbalanced force in either direction normal to the floor of the main span.

In Fig. 1 the unbalanced force is produced by a motor device consisting of a propeller wheel 7 connected with the main span, preferably near the outer end thereof, said propeller wheel being driven in any desired manner by an electricmotor 8. Some means is provided for holding the movable span in any of its various positions. As herein shown, this device comprises a connecting piece 9 adapted to connect the movable span and the fixed part or support. This connecting piece is pivoted to the fixed part or support at 10. Connected with the movable part 1 is a frame 11 preferably triangular in form and provided with three engaging parts or wheels 12, the end of the connecting piece 9 passing between these wheels so 5 as to be engaged thereby as shown in Fig.

3. The frame 11 may be connected with V in any desired manner.

the movable span in any desired manner, as by means of the shaft 13 of one of the wheels 12. Associated with the connecting piece 9 are the shoes 14 adapted when pressed against the connecting piece to prevent the relative movement of said connecting piece and the frame 11 thus holding the movable span in whatever position it may then occupy. The shoes 14 may be actuated As herein shown, the motor 15 is mounted on the movable span and the shoes 14 are pivotally connected with the frame 11. The motor 15 is connected with the shoes 14 by means of the screw threaded shafts 16, which work in threaded nuts 17 pivotally attached to the shoes, said shafts being operatively connected with the motor in any suitable manner as by means of gears or the like. It will thus be seen that when the propeller wheel 7 is set in operation, it will produce an unbalanced force normal to the floor of the movable part and as the movable part is properly counter-balanced, this unbalanced force will cause the free end to move upwardly and the connecting piece 9 will be pushed through the frame 11. If it is desired to stop the movable part, the motor 15 is set in operation, so as to press the shoes 14 against the connecting piece 9. This connects the connecting piece to the frame and to the movable part and prevents further movement thereof.

It will be seen that the movable span may be moved either to open or close it by varying the direction of rotation of the propeller 7. In Fig. 2 instead of using the motor device consisting of the propeller 7 I attach to the connecting piece 9 by the parts 18, 19 and 20 a curved rack 21, the teeth of which are engaged by the pinion 22 connected with the operating mechanism which, as shown, consists of a motor 25, connected by gears 24 with the pinion 22, the motor being mounted on the support 26. A counter-weight 23 is preferably connected with the part 18. In this construction it will be seen that the connecting device or operating strut consists of a beam pivoted between its ends so as to have a short arm and a long arm with a counter-weight and rack connected with the short arm and an engaging device slidably connected with the long arm and connected with the part to be operated.

I claim:

1. A bridge comprising a fixed part, a

movable span having members fixed with relation to each other, a motor operatively connected with said movable span for moving it to its open position, a self-guiding frictional connecting device movably connecting the fixed part and the movable span, and means associated with said connection and separate from said motor, for manipulating said connecting device to increase the friction so as to stop and hold the movable span in any of its various positions.

' 2. A bridge comprising a fixed part, a movable span having members fixed with relation to each other,- a motor for moving said movable span, a connecting piece connected with the fixed part, a connection between said connecting piece and said motor whereby the connecting piece is moved when the motor is operated, a slidable engaging device slidably connected with said connecting piece, and connecting the connecting piece with the movable span, an actuating mechanism separate from said motor for actuating said sliding engaging device to cause it to clamp said connecting piece and hold the movable span in any of its various positions. 7

3. An operating device comprising a movable part, a pivoted beam, a support to which it is pivotally connected, a slidable engaging device slidably connected with said beam and connected with the movable part,

a rack also connected with said beam, a pinion engaging said rack, and a support for said pinion.

4. An operating device comprising a beam, plvoted between its ends, a slidable engaging device slidably connected with said.

beam on one side of said pivot, a movable part to which said slidable engaging device is connected, a rack connected with said beam on the other side of said pivot, a pinion engaging said rack, and a support for said pinion.

5. An operating device comprising a pivoted beam having a short arm and a long arm, a part to which it is-pivotally connected, a counterweight on the short arm, a

and a brake device connected with said rack to hold it in any of its various positions.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 16th day of December 1911.

JOSEPH B. STRAUSS.

Witnesses:

MINNIE M. LINDENA DENIE A. WALTERS. 

